Marital routines

Marital routines.

It's odd how routines become established,  and taken for granted. They're so habitual,   they're unspoken,  but nevertheless important.  When something happens to disrupt them,  you can feel cheated,  wrong footed.


You always come to bed after I'm asleep,
It suits us both:
I like to read until I'm drowsy,
You like to catchup with TV I don't like.
It's maybe not all that romantic
More old married couple,  than lovers,
But waking up next to you feels special,
Filled with new day possibilities. 
Each morning we make each other drinks -
Coffee for me,  tea for you,
And chat about this, and that,
See where it leads.

Just lately our sleep has been disturbed
We wake in the night
We're careful not to disturb the sleeping partner,
Get up alone, make plans, sort out our worries,
Watch TV, write poetry, whatever it takes.

When I woke this morning you weren't there,
I missed you,  and waited.
By the time you came up I was dressed.
We'd missed our early morning chat.
We'd missed each other.

Perhaps it's time we bought a new mattress.



© Copyright 2019. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved

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